For the year, Metro Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Metro Bank, reported net income of $17.3 million, or $1.20 per diluted share. In 2012, it reported earnings of $10.9 million, or $0.77 per diluted common share, for a 59 percent growth level from year-to-year.

Both the fourth-quarter and 2013 net incomes were the highest in the company's history, according to Gary L. Nalbandian, chairman and CEO.

"Even with a slowly expanding economy and a continuously changing regulatory environment, we begin 2014 with a strong balance sheet and clear momentum to continue our performance and deliver to all of our constituencies," he said.

The holding company for Northwest Savings Bank said that's an increase of almost 25 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 when it reported net income of $16.3 million, or 18 cents per diluted share. It's also almost a 16 percent increase from the third quarter of 2013, when it reported net income of $17.3 million, or 19 cents per diluted share.

With the increase in earnings, the company announced a special cash dividend for its investors of 10 cents per share. The special dividend is in addition to the regular quarterly dividend of 13 cents it also declared with the earnings report, marking 77 consecutive quarters in which the bank declared a dividend.

For 2013, Northwest reported net income of $66.7 million, bettering the $63.6 million it reported in 2012. Diluted earnings per share rose to 73 cents from 68 cents, according to the company's earnings report.

Northwest Bancshares Inc. trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NWBI. Northwest Savings has more than 20 locations in Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.